Process for the manufacture of 17-keto steroids



Patented Oct. 20, 1953 PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF 17-KETO STEROIDS Emanuel B. Hershberg, West Orange, N. J., and

Eugene P. Oliveto, Long Island City, N. Y., assignors to Schering Corporation, Bloomfield, N. J a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application July 16, 1951, Serial No. 287,079

The present invention relate to the manufacture of 17-keto steroids, and more particularly to the degradation of 20-keto steroids to l'l-keto steroids.

It is the general object of the present invention to convert steroids having at the l'l-position a side chain which includes a carbonyl group at the 20-position, which carbonyl group may be a keto group in a multi-carbon side chain, or may form part of a l'7-aldehydo group, in a simple manner into a compound having ketonic oxygen attached to the l'l-carbon,

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to convert A compounds of the type indicated into l'l-keto steroids which are saturated in ring D.

It is known to degrade 1'7-steroid methyl ketones by reacting the 20-keto group with hydroxylamine and then to subject the resulting oxime to a Beckmann rearrangement. This rearrangement results inthe formation of a 17- acetylamino steroid which is difiicult, to hydrolyze to the l'l-keto compound. Such hydrolysis usually results in the intermediate formation of the l'Z-amino compound which, as described in the patent to Bockmiihl, No. 2,212,363, is then reacted with sodium nitrite to produce the l'l-hydroxy derivative, which thereupon is converted to the l'l-keto compound by oxidation with chromic oxide in acetic acid solution. This procedure is cumbersome and time-consuming and, in addition, requires intermediate protection of the double bond by addition of bromine which nrust subsequently be removed, as by treatment with zinc in acetic acid. Aside from involving a long series of reactions, it is inevitable that the over-all yield of thefinal 17-ketocompound is greatly reduced.

It has also been suggested to subject A -20 oximo pregnenes to a Beckmann rearrangement with the aid of p-toluene sulfonyl chloride, followed by treatment with sulfuric acid to produce the 17-keto compound ,(Tendick, No. 2,335,616). This procedure, while it is stated to avoid: the formation of the intermediate l'l-acetylamido compound, nevertheless requires rigorous reace tion conditions which uniavorably affect the yield of the final product.

Finally, it has been suggested (Julian, No. 2,531,411) to treat 20-oximo pregnane compounds which are saturated in the D ring with p-toluene sulfonyl chloride together with an acetyl acceptor, like ethanolamine, followed by treatment with sodium hydroxide, which results in the formation of; the l'l-amine substituted steroid. l

23 Claims. (Cl. 260-397.3) v

We have found that phatic group of one or more carbon atoms at the 17-position, and containing ketonie oxygen on the ZO-carbon, there is obtained not the 17- amino compound described in the Julian patent, but rather a ll-keto compound. This result was entirely unexpected and makes it possible to degrade 20-carbonyl steroids into l7-ketones in a simple and inexpensive manner and with rela-' tively high yields.

Our process may be represented by way of-ex-" ample by the following graphic formulae:

CH: I

on, d=uoi1 groups (like methoxy, ethoxy and benzyloxy), chlorine, etc.

carbonyl group at the ll-position.

While the above formulae show starting comi pounds having the carbon skeleton of the meg .nane series, it is within the scopeof the invention-1 to employ steroids having only one or more than two carbon atoms in the group attached to the 1'7-carbon. Thus the starting compound maybe when this last-mentioned reaction is applied to A -steroids having an allgs pt The starting compound-s include; also steroids having a double bond attached to the 5-carbon, i. e. M- and Ar -steroids," and the]; nucleus may also be substituted at other positions, 7 for example, at the 11- and 12-positions by anydroxyl or substituted hydroxyl group, orby a" a 17-aldehydo steroid, or it may have a 1'7-side chain in which a group is attached to the 20- carbcnyl group which has two or more carbon atoms; and such latter group may be-purely hydrocarbori in natiirdor' contain substituents-like 5 hydroxyl, ester, ether and other groups, for example, of the types above specificially indicated. In carrying out our invention, the A -2Q-carbonyl steroid is first converted'into-its oiiim nany suitable or convenient manner. The oxiine is then reacted with a sulfonic acid; preferably in the form of its chloride, and the reactibnmass is then heated to effect arearrangement and' splitting, resulting in the production of'the 17- keto steroid. To facilitate the rearrangement and splitting, the reaction accordingto chain 1 vention takes place in the presence of a co'n'ipound capable of binding an aoyl group,'-.tl iat i's';- of a basically acting organic compound. These compounds include monohydric and:- polyhydric alcohols,- incl-uding glycols (such-es methanolethanol ethylene glycol, glycerol, etc.) and.:pri-'- n'tarw and secondary aliphaticand-cyclicamines,- like butylamine,- anilina etc. I-he-amines -may be substituted by. other groups'like -hydroxyl- E35 groupwas inthe case of-alkylolaminesysuch asethanolainineand diethanolamine.

I The sulton-ic -acidor its chloride are preferably aryl sulfon-ic -acids or chlorides; suchas-benzenesulfonic acid chloride, p-toluene-sul-ionic acid- 30 It will be-ecidenvi-rom theioregoing that in carrying out the processes of the present invention there are directly obtaindlT-keto steroids without the necessity for employing a chromic acid oxidation, as described in the Bockmiihl patent above referred to: nor is any protection of a nuclear double bond required as the intermediate is not subjected to air oxidation reaction. It will be seen further that our process eliminates the difficult step of hydr'olyzing an acylamido steroid, as in the process oithe Ten dick patent; while the direct production of the 17-keto compound eliminates the additional reactions that would be required to'convert the 17- amJ-no group of the process of the Julian patent into ketonic oxygen.

The invention will be further described in the foliow-ing examples which are presented for purposes otilhistration only and not ems indicating the scope of the invention:

Example I A solution of 3 grams of n pregfia'dien-fi im ol20one acetate oxime (lfi-dehydropregnenolone acetate oxime) in 1 0 cc, of pyridine was treated with 3 g. of "p'-toluen'e s'ulfonyl chloride, the addition beirlg at such a rate as to keep the temperature below 40. The. mixture was allowedto stand in tfie ice-boxgovernight, thenpourdinto-ice' and hydrochloric acid' The precipitated OXimino-p tOl-uene sulfonatewas isolaited by filtration and-driedj desired,- the product-maybe filtthei 'pufifidby crystallization fib'maqu'ebus acetone, but this? is'not' n cessary; The pI-toluene sulfonate' wasadded't'o 10' cc, of ethanola'm'ine aridithe mixture warmed'ror 2" houism'ii the steam bath 20 cc. of methanol and 5' cc? 30% sodium hydroxidewas added and the mixture stearii' distilled 'untilall the pyridine was remo've'd. The crystallized product, dehydroepiandrosterone, was removed by filtration.

simple-'11? soluti'on ot'ii grri fisdehydropregnenolone ace 4 tate oxime in 10 cc. pyridine was treated with 3 g. of benzenesulfonyl chloride and subsequently treated as described in Example I. In an analogous fashion -there was obtained- M-androsten- 3 (m-ol-N one (dehydr'oepiaiidrosterone)1 Example III A solution of 3 g. o -dehydropregnenolone acemeanness: lilct-I. pyridine was treated with 3 gl-p tbliiiene sulfonyl chloride, the temperature esterof the oxime-tea l'l-k'eto standby-"neat Same in the. r sence of" a= rmber of f; cup consisting as rimaryand secondary" 4% Process accordin to cla-ifn 1 in'which"an zo-oximo pregnene is master-one compoun 5. Process according to a-claim i wherein the pre'iiiinei corniifi liild is substituted in'fthe 3--po s'ition by a group capable of conveision into by" erewrwuumene of hydrolysis I 6: Process" foi the" manufacture of iv-keto steroids; which comprises" reacting" a s-acyr" A =20 oxiino pr'egneii with a member oc-the group consisting of sulionic acids and their ohm-' rides, and efifecting a rearrangement of the resulting sulfonic acid ester of the oxime to a 17- keto steroid by heating the same in the presence of a basically acting organic compound.

7. Process for the manufacture of A -17-keto steroids which comprises reacting a A -20-oximo steroid with a member of the group consisting of sulfonic acids and their chlorides, and effecting a rearrangement of the resulting sulfonic acid ester of the oxime to a l'l-keto steroid by heating the same in the presence of a basically acting organic compound.

8. Process according to claim 1, wherein an aryl sulfonic acid compound is employed.

9. Process according to claim 1, wherein the sulfonic acid is p-toluene sulfonic acid.

10. Process for the manufacture of A -l'l-keto steroids which comprises reacting a A -20- oximo-pregnadiene with an aryl sulfonic acid, and effecting a rearrangement of the resulting sulfonic acid ester of the oxime to a 17-keto androstene by heating the same in the presence of a basically acting organic compound.

11. Process for the manufacture of 17-keto steroids having a double bond attached to the 5-carbon, which comprises reacting a A -20- oximo steroid having a double bond attached also to the 5-carbon, with an aryl sulfonic acid, and effecting a rearrangement of the resulting sulfonic acid ester of the oxime to a l'l-keto androstene by heating the same in the presence of a basically acting organic compound.

12. Process according to claim 1, wherein the sulfonic acid compound is a benzene sulfonyl chloride.

sulfonic acid compound is benzene sulfonyl chloride.

14. Process according to claim 1, wherein the sulfonic acid compound is p-toluene sulfonyl chloride.

15. Process for the manufacture of 3,17-diketo steroids which comprises reacting a A -3,20- pregnenedione-20-monoxime with a member of the group consisting of sulfonic acids and sulfonic acid halides, and effecting a rearrange- 13. Process according to claim 1, wherein the,

ment of the resulting sulfonic acid ester of the oxime to a l'l-keto group by heating the same in the presence of a basically acting organic compound.

16. Process for the manufacture of dehydro epiandrosterone which comprises reacting an ester of A -pregnadien-3Q8) -ol-20-one oxime with an aryl sulfonic acid chloride, and heating the formed oximino aryl sulfonate with an alkylolamine and with an organic base.

17. Process for the manufacture of dehydroepiandrosterone which comprises reacting A dehydropregnenolone acetate oxime with p-toluene sulfonyl chloride, and heating the product with aniline and with alcoholic alkali.

18. Process for the manufacture of dehydroepiandrosterone which comprises reacting A dehydropregnenolone acetate oxime with pto1- uene sulfonyl chloride, and heating the product with ethylene-diamine.

19. Process for the manufacture of A -androsten-3,17-dione, which comprises reacting A -pregnadiene-3,20-dione-20-monoxime with an aryl sulfonyl halide and thereafter heating the product with a basically acting organic compound.

20. Process for the manufacture of A -androsten-3,l7-dione, which comprises reacting A pregnadiene-3,20-dione-20-monoxime with ptoluene sulfonyl chloride and then heating the product with a primary aliphatic amine to effect rearrangement to A -androsten-3,1'7-dione.

21. Process according to claim 1 wherein the heating takes place at approximately steam bath temperature.

22. Process according 'to claim 2, wherein the heating takes place at approximately steam bath temperature.

23. Process according to claim 3, wherein the heating takes place at approximately steam bath temperature.

EMANUEL B. HERSHBERG. EUGENE P. OLIVETO.

No references cited. 

1. PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF 17-KETO STEROIDS, WHICH COMPRISES REACTING A $16-20-OXIMO STEROID WITH A MEMBER OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFONIC ACIDS AND SULFONIC ACID HALIDES, AND EFFECTING A REARRANGEMENT OF THE RESULTING SULFONIC ACID ESTER OF THE OXIME TO A 17-KETO STEROID BY HEATING THE SAME IN THE PRESENCE OF A BASICALLY ACTING ORGANIC COMPOUND. 